Disposable absorbent garments, such as diapers and adult incontinence articles, generally absorb and contain waste body fluids. Disposable absorbent garments generally have a body portion that may hold, or otherwise position, an absorbent core against the body of a wearer of the garment. The body portion may include a front waist region, a back waist region and a crotch region that connects the front waist region and the back waist region. These disposable absorbent garments may generally be worn to encircle the waist of the wearer. Due to the rate of insult to the garment, and/or as a result of the amount of the insult, absorbent garments may leak.
Disposable absorbent garments are manufactured in one or more sizes that typically correspond to different weight ranges of users. For example, HUGGIES disposable diapers manufactured by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Neenah, Wis. are sold in at least six sizes designed to accommodate different ages/sizes of children. Despite efforts to design garments to properly fit a wide spectrum of users, the disposable absorbent garments may not fit tightly, or conform closely, to the torso of the wearer. Therefore, because there may not be a complete seal around the waist of the users of such garments, there may be leakage of waste body fluids, especially during the night while the wearer is in the sleeping posture. Particularly when the wearer is in the prone position, loss of containment may occur in the front waist region. Obviously, such leakage is undesirable because it soils the wearer's clothing and potentially even their bedding. An opportunity to reduce leakage may be achieved if the garment is adapted to better conform to the waist of the wearer.
In addition to leakage that may occur through the waist edges in the front and back waist regions of disposable absorbent garments, performance of the garments may be diminished in the fasteners used for securing the garments about the waists of the wearers come undone. Disposable absorbent garments may unfasten during the course of the usual movements, e.g., associated with activity of the wearer. The wearer, e.g., an infant or child, may also, undesirably, unfasten the fasteners. Therefore, improving the security of the fasteners of the garments as well as inhibiting the undesired removal of the garments by children and infants would be desirable.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a waist protection garment for use in conjunction with disposable absorbent garments that improves the fit of the disposable absorbent garment, reduces waste leakage through the waist edges of the disposable absorbent garment and improves the security of the fasteners on the disposable absorbent garment.